The present invention generally relates to the game of billiards. More particularly, the present invention relates to a billiards ball rack which compactly sets and arranges billiards balls on a billiards or pool table.
Billiards or pool games are extremely popular with people of all ages. In playing the game of pocket billiards, the balls are typically arranged on the surface of the billiards table via a racking frame. For the game commonly known as eight-ball, fifteen balls are placed within an independent triangular frame which is moved on the table until the balls are in a desired spot, after which the frame is removed leaving the balls on the table in a specific formation or xe2x80x9crackxe2x80x9d. The most common formation used in billiards is the triangular arrangement of the balls, but there are various other configurations used by billiards players, for example, a diamond arrangement used for the game of nine-ball.
When forming a pattern with frame racks, it is desirable to compact the balls into a tight group. This gives a truer xe2x80x9cbreakxe2x80x9d of the group of balls when they are struck by the cue ball. As a player""s skill increases, the initial breakup of the rack may become an important opportunity for placing individual balls into definite locations on the table. The ability for such precise performance is dependent on the form and angle of the cue ball""s contact with the racked balls. In order for the player to have such control, it is desired that the balls in the rack be as close together as possible. The optimal formation of the balls has every ball in direct contact with its neighboring balls.
Even with a skilled user, a tight pattern is not easily obtained using a simple frame or rack. This is due to the fact that the racks ordinarily used are sized to define an enclosure which is slightly larger than the group of balls. To tighten the ball formation, users sometimes touch the balls directly to urge the balls together. However, when the user removes his fingers from inside the rack, he will often inadvertently upset the pattern without knowing it due to a certain amount of adhesion between the user""s fingers and the balls.
Devices have been proposed for the purpose of automatically racking billiards balls or assisting therewith. Unfortunately, these devices often have a complicated structure and are expensive in construction.
Accordingly, there is a need for a billiards ball rack which compactly arranges the billiards balls in the desired formation. Such a rack should not be complicated in construction, or expensive to manufacture. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention relates to a -billiards ball rack which compactly arranges billiards balls on a billiards table for play. The rack generally comprises a frame having a plurality of side walls which form an opening, and a plate attached to a top surface of the frame having inwardly and downwardly directed inclined surfaces for engaging an outer periphery of a group of billiards balls to compact them into a desired configuration.
Typically the frame is triangular in shape. The inclined surfaces define a cut-out portion of the plate, and form the desired billiards ball configuration which may include a triangle or diamond.
Preferably, the billiards ball rack includes lifting levers which are pivotally attached to two side walls of the frame. The levers each include an upper handle segment which is configured to be manually grasped and pulled upward. The levers also include a lower foot segment. The levers are pivotally attached to the frame intermediate the handle and foot segments. When the upper handle segment is grasped and pulled upward, the foot segment extends below a base of the frame to lift the frame from the playing surface. A stop is typically associated with each lever for maintaining the handle segment in an elevated position with respect to the base of the frame. Preferably, each side wall of the frame having a lever includes two levers positioned generally opposite one another so that the foot segment of each lever pivots below a base of the frame and towards each other when the handle segment of each lever is manually pulled upward. This arrangement uniformly lifts the rack from the playing surface.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.